Secrets, Lies, and Logan
by Billiebee3
Summary: What if Jake Kane was Veronica's biological father and something happened to Keith? Things change for Veronica Mars and she struggles while having to live with the Kanes and all their secrects. Will she be able to get through it and protect herself? V/L
1. smothered

Disclaimer: I don't own Veronica Mars and don't claim to, just this story about it...so don't try to sue or anything.

The beach is cold as she walks along the edge of the water alone. It's December and surprisingly cold for Neptune. There's some boats fishing nearby, but she doesn't notice them or much of anything else anymore. Why bother? Everything important is gone and there is no point in being smart or tough or really anything now. Still, she had to get out of there. It had been worse than smothering or choking to death and if she had stayed in the Kane mansion where she was now being forced to live for a second longer surely she would have died from it.

What had she ever done to have this kind karma? She had always tried to be a good person and had never hurt anyone else on purpose, so why was everything important to her gone? First Lilly, then her father losing his job, then everyone in school turning against her, then her family losing their house, then her mom walking out. But none of that could have compared to losing her daddy. The only person who really loved and cared about her was dead and she had no one. At forty five Keith Mars died of a stroke…or so she was told by the autopsy report. Whether she really believed that or not was something she kept to herself.

The water came up farther this time and wet the bottom of her jeans and sneakers. She didn't mind, even if it was freezing outside. She would happy choose to freeze to death before going back to the Kanes'.

"Sick of the lifestyles of the rich and famous already? And here I thought you'd be cozying up to daddy." A familiar male voice taunted from behind.

Veronica whipped around having to mentally hold herself back from trying to kill him. "Jake Kane is not my father!" She screamed at him.

He was actually intimidated with the way she looked at him. He had never seen such a hate filled glare from her before…spiteful yes, sarcastic yes, but hate filled no. He briefly wondered if maybe he should shut up before continuing. "Oh, really, that's not what the DNA test said, was it? Because I had heard that it said that Jake Kane was your real father and that you dated your own brother!"

The next thing he knew, her fist connected with his nose and blood was spewing down his chin onto his shirt. He looked up to find the tiny blond that had packed the rather impressive punch, but she was nowhere to be seen. Oddly, this bothered him. Not that she had punched him so much, because in the back of his head he knew that he undoubtedly deserved that one, but because she was gone. They were both alone and he needed to torment her to make himself feel better… at least for the moment. How else was he supposed to talk to her? They weren't friends.

Veronica got into her beaten up old car and turned the radio on. Anything to avoid thinking about what had happened in the last few weeks. She had come home and her dad was just dead. Not shot, not stabbed, not in any way she knew how to handle at all, just dead sitting up on the couch with his eyes wide open and the tv still glaring. She had barely gotten out of the funeral when the Kanes' lawyer approached her.

"The Kanes' have filed for custody of you. It has been determined that you are the biological daughter of Jake Kane. There will be a court hearing that you will need to be at in two weeks and they have requested that you move in with them immediately."

Before all this she would have thought up a way to get Logan for what he had said, but now the prospect didn't give her anything to look forward to. Keith Mars was her daddy, she didn't care about Jake Kane. Keith Mars was the one that taught her everything she knew, raised her, and stood by her no matter what. He was the parent that really cared. Jake Kane just donated some DNA by having an affair with her mother.

She saw Logan walk behind her, as if he wanted to bother her some more as she began to back up, and briefly she considered running him over. Being in jail would probably be more pleasant than her current residence. She dismissed the idea, however, at the thought of the orange jumpsuit she would have to wear. Orange was not her color.

"If you don't want to be road kill I suggest you move now." She said in a no nonsense tone.

Logan interpreted that as a kindly invitation to get in the passenger seat. "So, we going back to your place so you can open more Christmas presents from mommy and daddy? What did they get you? Some new spy equipment?" He asked sarcastically.

She shot him another 'drop dead' glare. "Get out Logan."

Logan smiled. "Umm…no. I feel like spending some nice bonding time with my favorite orphaned spy today."

She huffed a breath. "Whatever."

Had she just given into him? Wow, that was enough to get his attention and even worry him somewhat. After all, they used to be friends, once upon a time. He took a second to examine the tired expression on her face and, to him, what he saw was not Veronica Mars. When they had been friends she was sweet and innocent. He had thought she was cute and had a secret crush on her. When they were enemies she was sarcastic and tough. He loved to hate her and she turned him more than anyone else he'd ever met. This didn't seem like either one. This was just like a dead shell. The real Veronica was to depressed to bother anymore. He didn't like it. He might of enjoyed making fun of her and even be a jerk to her, he didn't really want anything horrible to happen to the little blonde. If she gave up who would he fight with?

He looked over to see her resting the back of her head on the seat. "Maybe things u'll get better." He offered.

She didn't act like she even heard. He tried to think of something else to say that might console her, but finally just gave up and got out of the car.


	2. when the world sucks

_Author's note: thanks to everyone that reviewed last chapter, it was very encouraging to post again quickly. Also, I have determined that this story starts season one around the same time as An Echoll's Christmas._ _Obvioulsy, everything from here on out will be different, but all the facts pertaining to Lilly's death and everything else up to that point on the show all went down the same._

The queen sized bed with the thick expensive pillow top mattress she laid down on was huge but she couldn't get comfortable on it. She missed the twenty dollar water bed her dad had bought her randomly one day from a garage sale. The room was large and empty and dark. She had not been this uncomfortable while trying to go to sleep at night since she was five and her dad had to come in and check for monsters and ghosts. But then again, maybe there where ghosts in the room with her...Lilly, her dad. Neither one would scare her if they were, but Lilly's old room was directly beside the one they put her in. She did not believe in ghosts really, but knowing that did not make her any less uncomfortable. She was completely alone and didn't even have back up with her for company. Celeste made her get rid of him straight away...said she was allegic to dogs. Wallace was taking care of him for her now. She wished she could just stay with him and his mom instead of the Kanes.

_"Veronica...Veronica..."_

_Veronica looked over to where the familiar voice was coming from in the room. Someone that looked exactly like Lilly was standing near the door. Veronica tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes. As she did, Lilly walked over and jumped in the bed with her. _

_"Lilly?" _

_"Who other?" The dead blonde said in a very self confident tone and giggled._

_"How are you...?"_

_"You're dreaming...obviously girl." She skirmed around a bit as if trying to get comfortable. "So you're like my sister...hum, my mom u'll love that! But hey at least someone u'll be around to drive them nuts for me. I've got this great CD in my room that I never even got to crank up when my mom was home but I know she'll hate it, we should so go get it!"_

_"Lilly, who killed you?" The slightly smaller blonde asked, seriously and to the point._

_"Aww, can't tell you that girl, wish I could. Oh, I saw your dad!"_

_"Really? How was he?"_

_"He seemed ok,_ _missed you a lot. He wanted me to tell you that-" There was a loud bump across the hallway in the direction of Duncan's room like something heavy had been knocked over. _

_She looked back over to where Lilly had been laying on her stomach only to see nothing._

Veronica truned over in her bed again, but she couldn't fall back sleep. That dream had been a little too real. She looked over at the alarm clock to see that it was two forty two A.M. and finally decided to go downstairs for a glass of water.

The light was still on in Duncan's room and, hoping for some small form of human contact, she knocked on his door. No one answered but she thought she heard the sound of video games inside. She knocked again and then finally cracked the door open quietly...just a bit. Duncan didn't seem to notice, he was just sitting on the end of his bed staring at the screen. The contoller was in his hands...but he didn't seem to be using it to play. Instead he was just watching himself lose. His back was arched straight up and his eyes looked glazed over...as best she could tell anyway from the distance. _Wow, someone needs some sleep or caffiene. He looks drugged or something. Like a zombie. _She chaulked it up to him being tired and stressed out (After her father died and it came out they were related, everyone knew he had dated his own sister and she her own brother. The only difference was that everybody already hated her anyway and she was used to it while he wasn't.), but still, she carefully shut the door and left before taking the chance of him noticing her in the doorway.

The next morning when she finally just gave up on her mission for sleep and got up around seven, she could already hear screaming from downstairs, though she couldn't tell who it involved other than Mrs. Kane. Someone was having a huge argument. It reminded her of how her parents used to yell after Kaeith lost his job right before she walked out. But Keith always came in an apologized for her having to hear them and tell her everything would be alright...she missed her daddy and suddenly wanted to cry again. She wished school was back in arleady. Even with all the new stuff everyone was saying about her and the incest situation at school, it was a better place to be than the Kane estate. She threw on her clothes, brushed her teeth and hair, grabbed her bag and left...or tried to. Mrs. and Mr. Kane were downstairs and still yelling at each other in the kitchen, which she had to go past no matter what door she took out.

"Why? Why did you have to bring her here Jake!? You think she's gonna replace Lilly? That girl is NOT my daughter! I think i've been more than patient with you and your affairs. I can forgive that, but bringing that bastard child here?! She didn't even seem grateful one bit yesterday- after everything we've done for her!"

Veronica had to stifle a laugh. _Yeah...I just loved the pink lacy sweeter that was three sizes too big, the books on "19 ways to improve yourself" and "etticate for beginners", and the give certificate for three counseling sessions with their family phychiatrist. At least Duncan just got me some camera film and a DVD. My father is dead as I got to spend Christmas with the man that cheated with my mother and the brother I used to date...I should have been home with dad watching baseball and the Charlie Brown Christmas special, not the people he swore killed Lilly._

"Shh! She might hear you! I'm her father, it was the right thing to do and you know she was Lilly's best friend!" He lowered his voice "Besides, you know why we BOTH agreed to bring her here...and-and she'll be easier to watch."

"Jake, that girl is always causing trouble everywhere she goes in this town, and what kind of affect is this going to have on our son?"

Originally, she had just planned on leaving without them noticing her, but the chance to make Celeste uncomfortable was too inticing for her to give up.

"Good Morning! Mr. Kane, Mrs. Kane. How is your wonderful moring going so far?"

Celeste looked at Veronica with the kind of disgust most girls would give to the smashed guts of a dangerous bug they had just squashed.

"Oh, just a bit stressful trying to get to work on time, Veronica." He knew she had probably heard at least some of that. "Everything is fine, other than I've already told you not to call us Mr and Mrs Kane. You're a Kane too now, call me da-"

She realized, of course, that school was out for Christmas break, but still, Veronica ran out before he had a chance to finish the word and make her throw up. Dad? Mr. Kane? No, Jake Kane was not her dad, Keith Mars was and she would sooner agree to having her tongue cut out than agree to use it to call him that.

She almost made it to her car when Mr. Kane caught her.

"Um, Veronica, Celeste feels like you're avoiding her. I would like if you'd stay around the house today. Maybe some time bonding will be good for both of you. I want for you to fit in with this family. Duncan's staying home too."

_Want to know my favorite thing about the world? Every time I think the world couldn't possibly suck more...it does. _She had no choice but to let out a breath and walk back inside.


End file.
